Method of making metal wheels



May 21, 1929. .1. w. sMrrH 1,114,144

METHOD OF MAKING METAL WHEELS Filed April 5,- 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Eli Z 5 INVENTOR:

Q7011]? IA/1452145511,

W I TNESSES:

. hub and disk in accordance with m Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JO N w. surrn, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

launch or nAxINe METAL WHEELS.

Application med April 3,

This invention relates to the manufacture of metal wheels havin a tapering cross-sec- 10 is to provide a one iece composite disk and hub. In other wor s the primary object attained by my invention is a unitary hub and disk.

Incident to the production of an integral novel method there will be a corresponding ecrease in the weight andamount of material involved as compared with articles of a like character manufactured according to prevailing practice, and said economical phases are likewise important objects resultant from my present invention. Other objects, are to produce a metal dlsk having an evenly distributed thickness through its area no matter whether or not the cross-section be tapered or an even gage; to ensure a. finished article devoid of any tendency to distortion; and to avoid any waste of stock during the process of manufacture.

With the foregoingand-other objects in view,'my invention consists essentially in' the novelmethod and manner of makin a unitar disk and hubfrom a drop forge blank, an adjunctively the said unitary articl prod ced thereby, as hereinafter fully set forth. n the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings constituting a part of this specifica tion, and in which like designating characters distinguish the same or corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure I is a plan view ofa convenient 'form of dro forged blank from which my novel type o disk is produced.

proper into tapered cross-section; and

Figure V is a like view illustrative of the third step, or the formation of the disk web into conical cross-section.

- upon asuitable supporting element or turn- ,ture rwhich might otherwise result. In prac- Figure'II is a section on the line II-II in Figure IV is a similar viewshowingthe second step or transformation of the dISk' 1923. Serial N0. 829,585.

In carrying out my invention and having reference more in detail to the drawings I employ a circular blank or drop-forging 6 conven1ently.though not essentially-of the cross-section shown by Figures I and II;

' which is, to be more specific, the drop forging 6 is formed with co-axial cupped bosses 7, 8 that const tute, as hereafter set forth, the hub of the finished article, and a web portion 9.

This blank ordrop forging 6 is of approxi- .mately one-half the required finished diameter and five times the avera e finished gage or thickness; The drop forging or blank 6 is heated to the necessary degree and placed table 10, Figure III, of arr-appropriate mill not shown-and subjectedeto an expanding operation, by means of one or more forging rollers 11. he forging roller or rollers 11 is, or are, adapted for radialoutward move ment relative to the axis of the drop forging or blank 6, thereby producing a reduced gage or thickness of metal throughout the disk web 9. This roll or rollers 11 is or are,'it will be observ'ed, generally conical in form except for a tread portion 12, that is rounded at 13 so as to assist the gradual' displacementof the metal from the central portion of the blank or forging 6 towards the peripher thereof, and incidentally obviating any ten ency to fractice, I prefer to employ two forging rollers 11 in opposed radial relation relative to the axis of the forging or blank-6, and arrange them to travel outwards with a uniform rate of @eed. Also, it is worthy of note, at this juncture, that I prefento use what is commonly known as a three pass rolling millfeeding the rollers 11 across the disk Web 9- thrice at a very rapid speed, approximately of five seconds duration for each pass. In the drawings the formation assumed by the disk web 9 after the first pass is clearly shown by Figure III. Obviously the aforesaid cupped. bosses 7, 8 are made from comparatively thick blanks and consequently well adapted for drop forging, as will be readily understood by those conversant with the art.

' It is to be remarked that I accomplish the foregoing disk forming steps with one heat of the drop forging or blank 6, thereby ef-. fecting an economy in time and labor. The wheel produced as 'ust described is now ready to be flanged and ormed to the required finished shape in a suitable drawing press, while- .said straight line path of the rollers, and a tapered zone near the hub as illustrated in Figures III, IV and V, thereby rolling a disk of tapered cross-section at the hub zone, and an even gage at the outer periphery. Heretofore the use of thin metal disks of varied cross-section, or tapered section, was

limited to restricted methods of producing same, but I have discovered that by a combination spinning androlling process I arr 1 enabled to produce the integral hub and disk type of wheel herein described. Thus it will be easily seen from Figure IV that the roller face '12 rolls the metal to the required thickness by cooperation with the turntable 10, while the face 11 and round corner 13 function as .a spinning portion to stretch the dished portion of the blank in advance of the rolling action. Figure III shows the upturned edge 9? of the disk-9, which flares up very high during some of the passes when the rollers are about two-thirds out from the center; and, obviously, said flared up edge must be acted upon by a spinning operation since it is not virtually in contact with turntable 10.

In most instances wheels of the type referred to are required to have a fine finish and a greater or lesser degree of concavo-convexity so as to ensure greater rigidity and in this connection I immerse the Wheel formed as before set forth in a suitablefiiluted acid solution to remove all scale or other matter from the surface thereof and then subject the same \to a cold rolling process. This cold rolling process may conveniently be carried out by placing the Wheel on toa conical supporting element orturn table 14Figure V having an associated forging roller or rollers 15 of the character above described. Thiscold rolling operation results in the transformation of the disk web 9 from the dotted line position indicated in Figure V to the full line section showing, whereby said disk is rendered much stiffer at the hub portion than if so shaped by direct pressure. Or, the formation of the blank 6 to more or less conical cross-section may be effected by hot-rolling as in the case of relatively heavy vehicle wheels.

From the foregoing description it will be obviousihat any desired cross-sectional configuration of the disk may be obtained by varying the profile of the element or turn table 10, but I desire'to particularly emphasize the fundamental object of my invention which is the production of a wheel having an a hub and integral surrounding concentric web portion, expanding said web radially outward from the hub portion by a combined rolling and spinning operation to diminish the gage, stretching the peripheral remainder to uniform thickness by spinning, and finally cold-rolling said expanded web to the required shape.

2; The method of makin wheels which consists in drop forging a b ank to provide opposed axially concentric'hub portions with an integral surrounding web, expanding said web radially outward to a definite zone thickness for a predetermined distance from the hub portions byv a combined rolling and s inning operation, and subsequently expan ing the we when cold to dished cross-section by a similar operation.

3. The method of makin wheels which consists in drop forging a ank to provide an enlarged central portion with an integral surrounding web, expanding the web of said blank while hot radially outward for a limited distance by a combined rollin and spinning operation to gradually diminlsh its, gage, shaping said expanded web when cold toconically dished cross-section by a similar operation, and finally machining the enlarged center portion to form a finished hub.

4. The method of making wheels which consists in drop forging a blank to provide concentric bosses with an integral surrounding web, expanding said web radially out- Ward from the bosses for a predetermined distance by'a combined rolling and spinning operation with one heat, cold rolling said .expanded blank by a similar operation to secure a finished surface and to shape said expanded web to required form, and finally machining the bossed portion to provide a finished hub. g

5. The method of making wheels which consists in drop forging a comparatively thick blank to provide axially opposed bossings with an intermediate integral Web, expanding said web while hot radially outward from the bossings for a limited distance by a combined rolling and spinning operation to diminish the age, cold rolling the expanded web on a suita le form to conical cross-section and required shape by a corresponding operation, and finally machining the hub.

6. As an article of manufacture a metal 5 thickness at the outer peripheral portion.

disk wheel having an integral hub and conically dished web portion gradualliyl diminishing in thickness outwardly'from t for a' predetermined distance with a uniform 7. As an article of manufacture a blank for disk wheels having an integral hub anda conically dished web portion of outward and gradually diminishing thickness merging 10 mto a zone of uniform gage with a reinforced outer peripheral rim.

e hub zone ing and spinning operation, and su 8. The art of producing a disk wheel for automotive use which consists in progressively expanding an annular zone 0', a suitably shaped heated blank by ,a com osite rollsequently shaping such expanded portion when cold incidental to a corresponding Operation;

In testimony w ereof I have hereunto signed my name at Phiiadelphia, Vania, this 27th day ofMarch, 1923.

JOHN W. SMITH.

Pennsyl- 2o 

